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Disinfecting wipes are being flushed down toilets and causing major pipe problems

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Updated: 10:21 AM CDT Mar 20, 2020

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SOME WIPES. BUT THAT’S A RISK YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO TAKE, ESPECIALLY YOU LIVE IN AN OLDER HOME. THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU’VE DONE IT RECENTLY. WALKED INTO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET TOILET PAPER AND OF COURSE, THEY’RE OUT. YOUR NEXT OPTION, IF YOU’RE LUCKY, PAPER TOWELS, BABY OR FLUSHABLE WIPES, AND YOU THINK IT IS ALL GOOD. >> IF YOU DO IT, YOU’RE DONE. SHAYNE: BUT YOU’D BE WRONG. >> IF YOU PUT THE WRONG STUFF DOWN YOUR TOILET AND IT STOPS UP, YOU’RE PROBABLY IN TROUBLE. SHAYNE: ROY BUSH RUNS ALL-STAR PLUMBING IN WEST PALM BEACH AND SAYS HE’S SEEING MORE CLOGGED SEWER LINES NOW THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE FLUSHING THINGS NOT MEANT BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET. >> ALL THAT STUFF, THEY DO NOT BREAK DOWN SO THEY DON’T FLOW DOWN THE SYSTEM. DOWN THE PIPES. THEY ACTUALLY BUILD UP AND THEY BLOCK. SHAYNE: PAPER TOWELS, BABY WIPES, ROY SAYS EVEN FLUSHABLE WIPES AND SOME THICKER TOILET PAPERS CAN ALL CLOG UP YOUR SYSTEM AND COST YOU BIG BUCKS TO GET FIXED. >> IF IT STOPS UP AND IT FLOODS, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SHAYNE: AND IT’S EVEN CAUSED THE TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR IN CONNECTICUT TO SEND OUT THIS PICTURE ALONG WITH A PLEA ON FACEBOOK TO ITS RESIDENT CLUMPS LIKE THESE CAUSING FOUR OF THE TOWN’S 11 PUMPS TO CLOG UP. BUT IT’S NOT JUST PAPER PRODUCTS. >> I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING FROM G.I. JOE WITH A KUNG FU GRIP TO JUST UNIMAGINABLE THINGS. SHAYNE: SO YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, WHAT ELSE CAN I USE? WELL, NOT MUCH. >> BEFORE I PUT IT IN THE TOILET, I’D PUT IT IN A TRASH BA YOU CAN JUMP IN THE SHOWER. SHAYNE: ALL THINGS TO REM

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Disinfecting wipes are being flushed down toilets and causing major pipe problems

Disinfecting wipes are helping people combat the spreading of germs amid the coronavirus pandemic.But some experts say the wipes, arguably the supply that's been used to clean surfaces in homes the most, are harming sewers.Why? Because people are flushing wipes down toilets, rather than dumping them in the trash.Now, public agencies around the nation are urging people to solely throw their wipes in the trash, warning that not doing so could cause blockages and damage to sewer systems.Wipes cause sewage issuesFacilities across California have already reported issues with their sewer collection systems, the state's Water Resources Control Board said.Many cities in California use centralized sewage collection systems that rely on gravity and water flow to move along waste, according to regulators. Toilet paper dissolves in those systems, whereas wipes and paper towels don't break down so easily."Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the state's Water Resources Control Board said in a news release.Other state agencies across the country -- including the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, the Lawrence Department of Public Works in Massachusetts and the Charleston Water System in South Carolina -- have issued similar warnings.Not even 'flushable' wipes are safe, some officials sayA shortage in toilet paper due to panic buying could mean that people have turned to using flushable wipes. But some water professionals caution that "flushable wipes," and disinfecting wipes in general, aren't really flushable.Wipes can cause damage to sewer systems and equipment even if they are labeled "flushable" or "septic-safe," according to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.Many wipes are made of synthetic materials. These materials, when combined with other personal hygiene products that are flushed and grease that is poured down drains, create what waste workers refer to as "fatbergs" in sewers."When a product is labeled 'flushable' it generally means that it will clear your toilet bowl," the department states on its website. "It does not mean it will definitely clear your pipes or break down in the sewer system or at a wastewater treatment plant."The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, a global trade association that includes major manufacturers of flushable wipes, argues that flushable wipes don't pose a danger to sewage systems.The organization released guidelines in 2018 that detail what criteria wipes should meet to be labeled as "flushable." If the wipes pass the test, they're safe to go down septic systems.Other organizations have more stringent flushability standards. According to the International Water Services Flushability Group, an organization that represents water professionals, wipes have to meet three main criteria to be considered flushable. They must:Break into small pieces quickly.Not be buoyant.Only contain ingredients that will readily degrade in natural environments.But because people often flush all kind of wipes, it's hard to determine whether "flushable wipes" are indeed safe.Given the concerns of many wastewater treatment plants at the moment, it's probably wise to heed this advice: Save your pipes. Don't flush wipes.

Disinfecting wipes are helping people combat the spreading of germs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But some experts say the wipes, arguably the supply that's been used to clean surfaces in homes the most, are harming sewers.

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Why? Because people are flushing wipes down toilets, rather than dumping them in the trash.

Now, public agencies around the nation are urging people to solely throw their wipes in the trash, warning that not doing so could cause blockages and damage to sewer systems.

Wipes cause sewage issues

Facilities across California have already reported issues with their sewer collection systems, the state's Water Resources Control Board said.

Many cities in California use centralized sewage collection systems that rely on gravity and water flow to move along waste, according to regulators. Toilet paper dissolves in those systems, whereas wipes and paper towels don't break down so easily.

"Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the state's Water Resources Control Board said in a news release.

Not even 'flushable' wipes are safe, some officials say

A shortage in toilet paper due to panic buying could mean that people have turned to using flushable wipes. But some water professionals caution that "flushable wipes," and disinfecting wipes in general, aren't really flushable.

Many wipes are made of synthetic materials. These materials, when combined with other personal hygiene products that are flushed and grease that is poured down drains, create what waste workers refer to as "fatbergs" in sewers.

"When a product is labeled 'flushable' it generally means that it will clear your toilet bowl," the department states on its website. "It does not mean it will definitely clear your pipes or break down in the sewer system or at a wastewater treatment plant."

The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, a global trade association that includes major manufacturers of flushable wipes, argues that flushable wipes don't pose a danger to sewage systems.

The organization released guidelines in 2018 that detail what criteria wipes should meet to be labeled as "flushable." If the wipes pass the test, they're safe to go down septic systems.

Other organizations have more stringent flushability standards. According to the International Water Services Flushability Group, an organization that represents water professionals, wipes have to meet three main criteria to be considered flushable. They must:

Break into small pieces quickly.

Not be buoyant.

Only contain ingredients that will readily degrade in natural environments.

But because people often flush all kind of wipes, it's hard to determine whether "flushable wipes" are indeed safe.

Given the concerns of many wastewater treatment plants at the moment, it's probably wise to heed this advice: Save your pipes. Don't flush wipes.